298-309 PAUL HARNDEN / THE PATTERN MILL

PAUL HARNDEN / THERE ARE THESE SMALL MILLS IN ENGLAND WE WORK WITH. THEY DO TEST WEAVING BASICALLY. WE COME UP WITH AN IDEA, A DESIGN, & WE GO TO OUR WOOLEN MILL & THEY GO TO THE PATTERN MILL TO HAVE IT WOVEN UP, ON A VERY NARROW LOOM. THEY’LL DO A SAMPLE OF JUST A COUPLE OF YARDS. I’LL SAY ‘I WANT TO DO A HERRINGBONE WITH THESE PURPLE & BROWN COLOURS, & WE WANT TO RUN A STRIPE OF RED THROUGH IT. I WANT TO SEE IT IN A FEW VARIATIONS ON THAT THEME.’ THEY’LL RUN A FEW DIFFERENT COLOURS THROUGH A TEST PIECE OF CLOTH THAT THEY PUT ON THE LOOM— IT’S CALLED A BLANKET, A PATTERN BLANKET. IT’S A SINGLE PIECE OF CLOTH WITH 12 DIFFERENT COLOURWAYS. DID I SHOW YOU one WHEN YOU CAME IN HERE?

DT / YES. IT WAS A DARK GREY WORSTED. IT WAS FASCINATING. SOME OF THE SHADES I COULD BARELY TELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN. BUT I IMAGINE WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT, ONE JUST FEELS RIGHT OR NOT.

PH / YOU GET A FEELING, AN INTUITION. IT’S LIKE ALCHEMY, BECAUSE WHEN YOU CHANGE one SHADE, OR one WEAVE, IT CHANGES IT COMPLETELY. I FEEL AS IF I SHOULD HAVE DONE A DEGREE IN WEAVING & FABRIC TECHNOLOGY, BECAUSE I’M TRYING TO DESIGN CLOTH & IT’S GOING THROUGH A DESIGNER AT THE WOOL MILL, WHO THEN GOES TO A PATTERN MILL, & THE IDEAS CAN SOMETIMES MISS, & SOMETHING COMES BACK & IT’S COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. IT’S VERY UNPREDICTABLE. YOU CAN’T IMAGINE & PREDICT HOW THE CLOTH IS GOING TO TURN OUT REALLY. I MEAN, YOU CAN TO A CERTAIN EXTENT, BUT IT’S STILL A LARGE MEASURE OF CHANCE & ALCHEMY. ANYWAY, IT’S A VERY LONG STORY ISN’T IT, THE YARN & EVERYTHING... IT’S TERRIBLE BECAUSE THE WOOL MILLS ARE RELYING ON THE YARN MILLS & THE YARN MILLS ARE RELYING ON THE FARMERS & THE SHEEP & EVERYTHING. IT’S A WHOLE CHAIN, ALL INTERCONNECTED, & IF one OF THE LINKS FALLS OUT, IF THE YARN DYERS OR THE PRODUCERS STOP, THEN THE MILLS ARE UP A CREEK. IT’S ALL GONE TO CHINA. IT’S BEEN DEVASTATED. THE DEVASTATION STARTED AFTER THE second WORLD WAR; IT JUST STARTED GOING DOWN AFTER THAT. IT’S JUST A MIRACLE SOME ARE STILL GOING.

WE’RE PRODUCING A FILM ABOUT THE PATTERN MILL & ITS DIRECTOR, GORDON HAWLEY. IT’S JUST AMAZING THAT IT’S STILL HAPPENING LIKE THAT IN 2011. I MEAN, IT COULD BE A HUNDRED YEARS AGO, COULDN’T IT? THE MACHINES ARE ANCIENT. THEY’VE GOT ABOUT 40 LOOMS GOING AT ONCE. THERE ARE MILLIONS OF MOVING PARTS ON JUST one OF THESE LOOMS. IF JUST one COTTER PIN BREAKS, YOU CAN IMAGINE— WHEN IT GOES WRONG, IT REALLY GOES WRONG. & ALL IT TAKES IS A HEALTH & SAFETY GUY TO COME IN & SAY ‘WE’RE CLOSING IT DOWN, IT’S TOO NUTS’ & IT’S OVER. WE’RE MAKING THE FILM TO RECORD IT FOR POSTERITY. IT’S PART OF OUR HERITAGE. THESE THINGS TAKE GENERATIONS TO DEVELOP, & THEY’RE GONE IN A SECOND AREN’T THEY? I’M REALLY PROUD OF THE WAY THEY’RE WORKING THERE. I JUST WANT TO RECORD IT. THEY’RE NOT MAKING THAT MUCH MONEY, IT’S ON A WING & A PRAYER, YOU KNOW. & WHEN GORDON RETIRES, THE HISTORY IS GONE. THIS IS THE LAST PATTERN MILL IN THE WORLD...]